Buckle.



F. L. LANGHAMMBR (550. G. JOHNSON.

BUCKLE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914;

UTED STATE ATENT UFFTQF FRANK I. LANGI-IAMMER AND CHARLES G. JOHNSON, OF BRIDGEJE'ORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORS T0 WARNER BROTHER-S COMPANY, OF BRIDGEFCRT, CONNECTICUT, A

CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 191 1.

Application filed July 30, 1913. Serial No. 781,926.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK L. LANGI-IAM- MER and CHARLES G. JOHNSON, both citizens of the United States of America, and both residing at Bridgeport, Fairfleld county, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in buckles of the type which finds extensive use in connection with garment supporters of various kinds, such as trouser suspenders, hose supporters and the like and the object of the invention is to produce such buckle so that it may be cheaply made, easily strung, easily operated, will have a rust less back and will lie very flat, especially when under tension and against the person of thewearer.

We accomplish these objects broadly by producing what is called a three piece buckle comprising a frame, a lever and a sliding clamp, the sliding clamp being actuated by a cam on the lever which acts to force said sliding clamp downward to squeeze the running length of the webbing between the sliding clamp and the loop of webbing which has been turned around the bottom bar of the frame. The lower edge of the sliding clamp may be left plain or provided with teeth, as may be found most desirable under the varying conditions of use. The bottom bar of the frame may be provided with the usual finger piece if found desirable. Other variations in construction will appear in the course of the following more detailed description:

In the following we have described, in connection with the accompanying drawings, several forms of buckles illustrating the application of the principles of our invention, the particular features thereof be ing more particularly set forth hereinafter in the claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one form of buckle illustrating a method of carrying out our invention, the lever being shown as raised and the buckle open; Fig. 2 is an end view of the buckle as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section of the buckle shown in Fig. 1 strung with webbing and with the lever down and the buckle closed in clamping position; Fig. 4 is a plan view, partly in section of the buckle as shown in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows along the line 14: of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modification of a buckle such as is shown in Fig. 1 with the lever raised and the buckle open and Fig. 6 is a central vertical section of the buckle shown in Fig. 5 strung with webbing and with the lever down and the buckle closed in clamping position. Each of the figures is on a slightly enlarged scale and in Figs. 3 and 6 the webbing is shown as under tension as in actual use.

Similar numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings 7 indicates the frame, 8 the lever and 9 the sliding clamp. The frame as shown comprises pintles 10, 10, constituting the equivalent of a top bar, ends 11, 11 and a bottom bar 12. The bottom bar may be provided with a finger piece 13, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, preferably extending at an angle to the plane of the frame. The lever as shown comprises cars 14:, 11 respectively embracing pintles 10, 10, a lever arm 15 and a cam 16. The sliding clamp as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, comprises an angled bar having an upper face 17 adapted to coact with cam 16 on the lever and a lower edge 18 adapted to act as a clamping edge as hereinafter described. The sliding clamp as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 comprises a plate having an upper edge 19 adapted to coact with cam 16 on the lever and a lower preferably serrated edge 20 adapted to act as a clamping edge as hereinafter described. In either form the sliding clamp is provided with cars 21, 21 adapted to engage ends 11, 11 of the frame. It will be noted that the ears 14, 1d are formed from oppositely disposed extensions projecting from the lever arm 15 and that the cam 16 is formed from an extension projecting from the lever arm intermediate the extensions forming the ears, said cam extension being first bent at an angle to the lever arm to form the cam surface and then at an angle to the cam surface and back toward the underside of the lever arm to form a locking surface to cooperate with the upper edge of sliding clamp 9 to hold the parts in locked position.

22 indicates the fast end of the webbing, shown in Figs. 3 and 6 as passed from rear to front over the bottom bar 12 of the frame and fastened back upon itself by stitches 23,

and 24 indicates the free end or running length of the webbing, shown in said figures as passed upward from front to rear over the fast or looped end 22 and beneath the clamping edge of the sliding clamp.

In the operation of the buckle, threaded with webbing as described, the lever arm 15 is turned down causing the cam to engage the sliding clamp, pressing the'same downward and causing it to squeeze the running length of webbing against the fast or looped end of webbing and the bottom bar of the frame.

We do not restrict ourselves to any of the details of construction or arrangement as shown or described further than the scope of the appended claims demand, and where in the claims we'refer to upper transverse members, We mean to include as a full equivalent as hereinbefore stated, a structure in which the pintels may comprise bearings on a single, continuous top bar or transverse member on which the lever may be pivotally mounted substantially as described.

What we claim is:

1. In a buckle or the like, the combination of a frame having a lower transverse member upper transverse members and two longitudinal members, pivots provided by said upper transverse members, a lever pivotally mounted thereon, said lever being provided with a cam intermediate said pivots, and aclamp freely slidable along said two longitu'dinal members of the frame, said clamp having a portion adapted to be engagedby said cam whereby to force said clamp toward said lower transverse member of the frame.

2. In a buckle or the like, the combination of a frame having a lower transverse member, upper transverse members and two longitudinal members, oppositely disposed pivots provided by said upper transverse members, a lever pivotally mounted on said pivots, said lever being provided with a cam extending between said oppositely disposed pivots, and a sliding clamp adapted to slide alongsaid two longitudinal members of the frame, said clamp having a relatively bro-ad upper surface cooperating with said cam whereby the closing of the lever causes said cam to hold said sliding clamp in closed position.

3. In a buckle or the like, the combination of a frame having a lower transverse member, upper transverse members and two substantially parallel longitudinal members, op-

positely disposed pivots provided by said upper transverse members, said. pivots lying substantially in the plane of said frame, a

lever pivotally mounted on said pivots, said lever being provided with a cam extending between said oppositely disposed pivots, and a sliding clamp adapted to slide along said two longitudinal members of the frame, said clamp having. an upper angular portion in the path of said cam and cooperating therewith to hold said clamp in closed position when said lever is inclosed position.

4. In a buckleor the like, the combination of a frame having a'transverse member, upper transverse members and two longitudinal members, oppositely disposed pivots provided by said upper transverse members, a lever pivoted on said pivotsysaid lever being provided with a cam intermediate said pivots, and a clamp freely slidable along said longitudinal members and cooperating with said cam whereby upon moving said lever downwardly said clamp is forced toward said lower transverse membergthe cam surface of said cam comprising a reentrant portion adjacent theend of said cam surface whereby saidsliding clamp is held in closed position when said lever is moved toclosed position. I y 7 5. In a buckle, the combination of a frame having a lower transverse member, upper transverse members, andtwo longitudinal members, oppositely disposed pivots provided by .said upper transverse members, a sliding clamp carried by said two longitudinal members, and a lever comprising ale'ver arm and oppositely disposed extenslons projecting from said lever arm, said extensions bem bent to form ears embracln sald "31vots, said lever further being provided with an extension intermediate said oppositely disposed extenslons and bent at an angle to said lever arm to forma cam surface cooperating with said sliding clamp, said in- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents,

Washington, D. O. 

